Compensator for railway-signal wires.



. Patented Dec. l8, I900. E. WOOD'WARD. GOMPENSATDR FDR RAILWAY SIGNAL WIRES. (Application filed May 26, 1900.) (No Model.) 2.Shaets -Sheet l.

- %lNV-ENT0R ATTORNEY No. 664,345. Patented Dec. l8, I900.

, E. wounwAnn.

GOMPENSATOR FOR RAILWAY SIGNAL WIRES. (Application filed May 26, 1900.] (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet Z.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR TH: nbmus PETERS co, PHOTO-LITHO.. wAsHmmou. DV 0.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA WOODWARD, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

COMPENSATOR FOR RAILWAY-SIGNAL WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,345, dated December 18, 1900.

Application filed May 26,1900. Serial No. 18,169. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EZRA WOODWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at O- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Compensators for Railway-Signal Wires, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of wire-compensators for railway-signals; and the objects of my invention are to provide an improved compensator which will at all times retain the signal-operating wires taut, to provide, in conjunction therewith, improved means whereby the breaking of one of the signal-wires will result in the semaphoreblade being thrown to the danger position, and to produce other improvements in details of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved compensator and signal. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on line a: a: of Fig. 1, showing the position of the operating-lever when the latter has been partially thrown over. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the compensator and signal, the view being taken on the opposite side from that indicated in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a .detail view in perspective of a signal having my improved apparatus thereon.

Similar numerals refer to si throughout the several views.

1 represents a compensator-frame, which in the present case is shown in the form of an arch which rises from extensions of railwayties 1, but which may, if desired, be properly supported within a suitable signal-operating building adjacent to a railway-track. Fulcrumed centrally to the upper portion of the frame 1 is a lever-bar 2, which preferably consists of two parallel sections 3, from the central portion of each of which extend downwardly arms 4 and 4 Journaled in the arms 4 and 4 is the horizontal portion of a crankshaft 5, the latter having on one end the crank termination 6. Between the lever-arms 4 I milar parts journal upon the horizontal portion of the crank-rod 5 4 winding-drum 7, the latter having extended or flanged sides, which result in the formation of a grooved or channeled drum periphery. One of these drum sides has its edge portion toothed to form a ratchet-wheel 8. Within the drum 7 I provide a coiled spring, which is shown in section at 9, the inner end of this spring being secured to the shaft 5 and the outer end thereof secured to the inner wall of the drum. On the crankshaft 5 and on the outer side of one of the arms 4 is mounted asmall ratchet-wheel 10, with the teeth of which is adapted to engage asmall pawl 11, pivoted to said arm. Between the outer ends of the lever-barsections 3 are journaled grooved wheels 12 and 13, and adjacent to the base of the frame 1 at points below the ends of said lever are journaled similar grooved wheels 14 and 15. The frame-arm 4 is of greater length than the arm 4 and has its lower end bifurcated or recessed, as indicated at 4". This bifurcated end of the arm 4 loosely embraces the crank portion 18 of a horizontal operating lever or rod 19, the latter being journaled in suitable floor or tie projections 20 and terminating on one end in a handle portion 21, which extends at right angles with the body of said lever or rod.

22 represents a pawl the upturned end portion of which is pivoted to the lower portion of the arm 4* and is adapted to engage the teeth of the drum-ratchetS, while the outer end of said pawl is weighted or enlarged, as indicated at 22*, to insure the engagement of the remaining end thereof with said ratchetteeth. This pawl 22 is adapted, however, to contact with the crank-bend of the lever 19 when the handle portion 21 of the latter is turned to a horizontal position, such contact resulting in the pawl being lifted until its point is out of engagement with the drumratchet, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. With opposite points on the periphery of the drum 7 I connect the ends of signal-wire-operating chains 23 and 24, the chain 23 passing over the wheel 12, thence downward beneath the wheel 14, and horizontally outward, being connected with a signal-operating wire 25. The chain 24 runs, as shown, over the wheels 13 and 15 and extends in the direction of the chain 23, being connected with a signal-operating wire 26.

27 represents a signal or semaphore post which is supported vertically adjacent to a railway-track at the desired distance from the compensator. This semaphore-post, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, has pivotally connected with its upper portion the inner end portion of a semaphoreblade 28. Pivoted centrally to the post 27 is a lever-bar 29, which near one end is connected, through the medium of a rod or wire 30, with the inner end portion of the signalblade 28. Extending lengthwise across the face of the lever-bar 29 is a rod 31, the latter being journaled in suitable projecting keepers .32 on said lever and terminating in oppositely-projecting end arms 33 and 34, the end projection 33 extending toward the compensator and having connected therewith a section of chain 24. This chain 24 connects with the outerend of the signal-Wire 26. Over the outwardly-projecting and slightly-upturned end projection 34 of the rod 31 I hook the upper link of a section of chain 23, the lower end of which is connected with the signal-wire 25. The chain 24 runs beneath a pawl or grooved wheel 35, journaled on one side of the lower portion of the post 27, while the chain 23 passes similarly about a wheel 36, journaled on the opposite side of said post.

In order to insure a retention of the signaloperatin g. wires in a tight or taut condition, the crank 6 is turned until the spring 9 within the drum 7 is under desirable tension and the chain-sections 23 and 24 are sufiicientlywound on the drum to be drawn taut.

It is obvious that when the handle portion 21 of the operating-lever is turned to a horizontal position and in a direction away from the signal the semaphore-blade will be dropped downward to the usual danger position through the tipping of the lever-bar 29. In the I operation of throwing the leverto the forward rocking movement of the bar 2 on its frame 1, thereby pulling downward on the outerend portion of the lever 29 and raising the semaphore-blade to its upper or clear-track position. The weighted pawl 22 being disengaged from the drum-ratchet when the semaphore is turned either to the danger or cleartrack position, it is obvious that the spring of the drum is free to act on said drum and exert a winding influence on the chains 23 and 24,

thus holding the signal-wires taut and compensating for any contraction or expansion in said wires and chains.

In case the signal-wire 26 should become broken it is obvious that the projecting end portion 33 of the rod 31 will be relieved of the downward pull thereon, admitting of said rod 31rotating sufficiently through the downward pull of the chain 23 to cause the latter to slip off the rod projection 34. In this manner the semaphore-blade will be retained in its horizontal or danger position instead of being pulled to the clear-track position through the influence of the wire 25 and chain 23.

From the construction and operation herein shown and described it will be seen that simple, reliable, and effective means are provided for compensating for the expansion and contraction of the signal-operating wires and that simple and efiective means are provided in conjunction therewith for insuring a retention of the semaphore-blade in the danger position in the case of breaking the signalwire 26.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a compensator for railway-signal wires, the combination with a pivoted bar 2, a springactuated drum journaled therein, grooved wheels 12 and 13 in opposite ends of said bar 2 and wheels 14 and 15 journaled below the wheels 12 and 13, of chains 23 and 24 connected with opposite points on the drum 7 and running over said pulley-wheels and semaphore-blade-controlling wires 25 and 26 connected with said chains and means for rocking said bar 2 on its pivot-point, substantially as specified.

2. In a compensator for railway-signal wires, the combination with a pivoted bar 2 having downwardly-extending arms 4 and 4 the latter having its lower end recessed, pulleywheels 12 and 13 journaled in opposite ends of said bar 2 and pulley-Wheels 14 and 15 journaled below said wheels 12 and 13, of a spring-actuated drum j ournaled between said arms 4 and 4 means for placing the spring therein under tension, a ratchet-Wheel formed on said drum, a journaled operating-shaft 19 having a crank bend therein extending through the recessed portion of said bar 4*, a pivotedpawl 22 adapted to be lifted by contact with the bend portion of said operatingshaft into engagement with said ratchet-teeth, chains 23 and 24 connected with opposite points on the periphery of said drum and running over said pulley-wheels 12 and 13 and 14 and 15 and signal-operating wires connected with said chains, substantially as specified.

3. In a compensator for railway-signal wires, the combination with a'journaled spring-actuated reel, chains connected with opposite points thereon and signal-wires 25 and 26 connected respectively with said chains, of a signal-post, a semaphore-blade pivoted thereon, a lever-bar 29 pivoted to said post, a rod extending lengthwise of said bar and jonrnaled on the face thereof, said rod having oppositely-projecting end portions, wheels 35 and 36 jonrnaled on said post, chains 23 and 24; connected with said wires 25 and 26 running over said post-wheels, the chain 24* being connected with one of the end projections of the rod- 31 and the chain 23 having a detachable :0 connection with the remaining end projection of said rod, substantially as specified.

. EZRA WOODWARD. In presence of C. O. SHEPHERD, A. L. PHELPS. 

